Braves Pitcher Spencer Strider Undergoes Elbow Surgery, Will Miss Rest of the Season

The Braves star will miss the rest of the season, leaving a seismic hole in Atlanta's starting rotation.

Mar 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Braves ace pitcher Spencer Strider will miss the remainder of the 2024 season after undergoing surgery to repair damage to the UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) in his right elbow, the team announced on Saturday.

The surgery was performed on Friday by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Tx.

Strider complained of discomfort in his right elbow after lasting just four innings while allowing five runs during his second start of the year against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 5. The club then announced the next day that Strider had damage to the UCL in his elbow following an MRI.

Strider, 25, is the reigning MLB leader in wins and strikeouts, and is coming off of a dominant 2023 campaign that saw him earn MLB All-Star honors for the first time while finishing fourth in the National League Cy Young award race.

It's an understatement to say that his absence will be a major blow to the Braves' rotation, which still features the likes of Max Fried and seven-time All-Star Chris Sale.

Strider is the second pitcher, along with Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber, to undergo season-ending surgery due to an elbow injury early this season.

The MLB Player's Association blamed the pitch clock, first installed at the big-league level in 2023, for the rash of pitcher injuries, in a statement this past Saturday.